The present invention relates to a key case and is of the type that incorporates a key carrier assembly therein on which a plurality of key retainers are releasably mounted.
Key cases as previously used heretofore and that included a key carrier assembly therein were normally constructed such that a preferred key for use was selected from those that were mounted on the key retainers, and the selected key and its key retainer were than pivotally moved relative to the key carrier assembly to expose the selected key for use. Thereafter, the selected key was returned to its normal position interiorly of the key case enclosed therein by a suitable lock construction as incorporated in the body of the key case.
Although the prior known key case constructions were suitable for the use intended, it sometimes was inconvenient to select a preferred key that was frequently used since it was only one of several as contained in the key case body. Some efforts have been made to overcome the inconvenience of searching for a preferred key, and such prior known devices have provided means for segregating a key which is used more often than other keys. This has taken the form in some instances of a key holder as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,297,324, wherein a selected or preferred key was located exteriorly of the key holder and was mountable in an outside pocket that was formed on the exterior portion of the holder. Thus, the user had immediate access to the preferred key that was normally located in the outside pocket.
Although a key holder as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,297,324 would serve the purpose intended, the constructional arrangement thereof could not withstand long term or abusive use of the key holder, since the chain on which the keys were mounted was easily subject to breaking. Other devices known heretofore have also incorporated the concept of utilizing an exterior pocket for retaining a key therein, but in all of these forms of the prior devices, the key was interconnected to a member that was not associated with a key retainer assembly.